Mend Your Heart
by caughtafirefly
Summary: War is won. It has changed people. And it has changed life itself. Now it's time to find a way to recover, to live and to love again. / / Mainly about Hermione and Narcissa, but other characters (e.g. Weasley family) will of course appear, too. / / Characters might be slightly OOC and I changed some facts from the books/movie a little... / / R&R :)
1. Turn the lights off me

I do not own Harry Potter and I only write for fun. This is my first attempt of writing fan fiction. Plus I am no English native speaker. So please be kind ;) I'm sorry for every spelling and grammar mistake I am going to make. I hope you'll enjoy the story. I am grateful for every advice. Especially since I'm quite new to all of this. But if you just happen to dislike the story or my way of writing it or whatever, you don't have to read it, right?! ;)

But with all of this said the story shall begin. Let me know if you like it. If you think it's worth continuing I will hopefully do so on a regular basis.

Love & Peace, xoxo

– Turn the lights off me –

The night is falling, falling down. The world is shrouded in darkness. The blood red sun has already set and cleared the way for the big round and white moon and the countless stars that now cover the sky. They shine. But the darkness remains.

A slight breeze has sprung up. One can feel that autumn is waiting right around the corner. The nights when you could walk sleeveless probably are over by now – at least for this year.

Hermione rolls the sleeves of her jacket down and quickens her pace. It's way past dinner time already. Mrs. Weasley won't be happy about Hermione missing their family dinner again. But once again she got stuck for quite some time at some public library in Muggle London. She has been there pretty much every day over the last weeks. She loves the smell there. The smell of the old walls. The smell of all books, those that are old, and those that are not. And the smell of the knowledge they hold. For Hermione reading through those Muggle books has been a pleasant distraction after all the horrible things this war brought to them. Reading has always been the best way for her to clear her head, to get rid of all the worries. It has always been a way to hide from the world. But while skimming books she often loses track of the time.

The sky is now almost black and it makes the stars look even brighter. They twinkle like billions of little fire flies that dance through the night. The world seems so peaceful. The air is somewhat damp. Some old orange street lamps light the way a little. But none the less it's rather difficult to really see. It takes time for Hermione's eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Hermione increases her speed once more. With every step her shoes click on the cobble stones. She makes her way to a dark alley close to the library to find a safe apparition spot. She always goes to the same dark and rotten alley to apparate back home to theBurrow without some Muggles accidently noticing.

Home. It still feels strange to call the Burrow home. Even though the Weasley family has been like a second family for Hermione over the last years. And now after the end of the war she moved in with them. It seemed obvious, the best solution for everyone. After the end of the war it was helpful for everybody not to be alone. Company helps to cope with the hurt and the loss.

Yes. The war is over. At the beginning it was hard to find a way back to normality. The war had changed many things, and it changed the people. But it gets easier as time goes by. And the final battle happened already quite some time ago. But it still takes time to rebuild Hogwarts completely. The damage the battle had caused to the old building was huge. Many wizards and witches – most of them are employees of the Ministry for Magic or members of the Hogwarts staff – are doing a great job working full time 24/7. But it still takes time. That much can be said. And until then, until Hogwarts is rebuilt and school can start again Hermione is living with the Weasley family.

They made it pretty easy for her to move in with them. They always are most welcoming especially when times get difficult. But for Hermione it can only be an interim solution. She wants to go back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. She wants to finish school, get her degree. And after that she wants to get a proper job and a home of her own. Because no matter how much she loves the whole Weasley family and how grateful she is for their support she always knows the Burrow can never be a permanent home to her. She could never live with them forever. She needs space. To be able to live her life free from anyone's expectations. She needs room for her things and time to her own. A door she could close behind her and be all by herself.

But for now Hermione lives at the Burrow.

When she reaches the alley Hermione suddenly pauses. She stands still. The sound of muffled voices makes her stop. Most of the customers and passers-by have already left the streets. There is nobody for Hermione to see. But there must be someone since there are voices. Out of the dark. From around the corner. Hermione isn't able to understand a word. But clearly there are at least two voices talking, whispering. Muffled voices whispering to one another. Those voices are not more than a whisper in the night. But still even though they are not more than a silent whisper they are angry, maybe even furious. They're arguing. Those whispers are probably more precisely described as a furious hissing.

Hermione holds her breath. She's shuddering, her back pressed against a building's brick wall. Not able to understand what they are talking. And not able to decide what to do. Apparating back home right from the spot would be a reasonable decision. Leaving or running away would maybe be reasonable, too. But the girl isn't able to get a hold of one clear thought and obviously is not able to move either. So she remains in her position, completely silent and breath held.

You think the war teaches you. And so it is. The war is a great teacher. The war taught Hermione a lot. The war taught Hermione so many things. She became much more confident in so many things. And the war somehow made her grow up into the woman she is today. But the war apparently didn't teach her how to decide in situations like this one. Or maybe the war did teach her – but she forgot about it as soon as the war was over… Could that be possible? Hermione wasn't able to think about it. At least not at this very moment.

The voices are still whispering, hissing. They get more and more difficult to separate from the wind that has sprung up. Hermione completely concentrates on them but therefore forgets about the rest of the world around her. And then all of a sudden the tip of a wand presses against her neck.


	2. Get up, off your knees

2nd Chapter is up. Again, I'm sorry for every mistake I make and obviously I do not own Harry Potter ;) This one is slightly longer. Still not sure where the story will go. Hope I'll get another chapter done by the weekend. Can't promise anything though.

Special thanks to Leti2a and the nice Guest that have been my very first reviews. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it! :) And of course thanks for the favs and follows! I'm pretty stoked by fact that anyone out there reads this thing. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Have a lovely week. Love & Peace, xoxo

– Get up, off your knees –

The voices are still whispering, hissing. They get more and more difficult to separate from the wind that has sprung up. Hermione completely concentrates on them but therefore forgets about the rest of the world around her. And then all of a sudden the tip of a wand presses against her neck.

Hermione cannot move. She is paralyzed with fear. Her heart beat quickens and her breath gets stuck in her throat. Instinctively she tries pressing herself even more into the brick wall behind her.

"Who do we have here?"

It is the whispering voice of a woman close to her left ear. The woman is only inches away by now. Her body vibrates. Nobody can tell if it's because she's in rage or because of something else. Hermione can feel the woman's warm breath on her cold skin. She shudders.

The girl isn't able to answer her. Just as she wasn't able to do anything at all for the last few moments.

Since it is not more than a whisper there is no chance Hermione could recognize the voice.

"You know, I don't like repeating myself."

She sounds slightly annoyed so she pauses. But continues only a second or two later: "I don't like repeating myself. And I am not used to it either." Yes. She is obviously annoyed and impatiently waiting for an answer.

Hermione cannot see the woman. Not even out of the corner of her eye. And she doesn't dare moving her head even the slightest to have a look at the woman next to her. But she hears her grind her teeth. She must be fighting some kind of tension. Her breath keeps tickling against Hermione's ear. The air of every breath the woman takes blows against Hermione's ear. But the girl is way too nervous to really notice it. She's scared not knowing what's going to happen next. So for the moment she concentrates on breathing, on steadying her own breath.

"Do I know you?" Now the woman speaks again. She probably waited long enough for an answer. So she continues talking herself. She almost sounds honestly interested. One can tell she's really searching through her memories analysing the girl's appearance for clues. She doesn't know where she might know the girl from at first. But she's getting there.

"You know what? – I think I know you. Yes, I do." She smiles. One can hear it in hear voice that she smiles now. Hermione can hear it. And it starts freaking her out. She has never been a fan of creepy mind games. But on the other hand who is?

The woman moves a little that her front now touches Hermione's left side. Her wand is still pressed firmly against Hermione's throat. A scent of freesias and roses lingers in the air. With only a little bit of lavender. A unique scent. Like a flowermeadow in Southern France. A scent Hermione remembers from her early childhood. Her parents used to take her there when she was just a little child.

"You know you looked familiar to me right away." She sounds pleased with herself, pleased that she is now sure about knowing the girl. That is quite a surprise. She didn't expect seeing the girl here. But thinking more closely about it it's actually not that big of a surprise from what she knows about the girl. Not personally of course. She does not know the girl personally. Why would she. The girl is not the kind of company she surrounds herself with. But she has heard about her. Because people talk. Especially after the end of the war. The papers were filled with articles about the girl and her little friends. And everybody talked about them – and still does. A lot. So she had no choice but learning things about the girl. Even though she had no interest in doing so. It did really get on her nerves. But one simply cannot ignore every conversation and every Daily Prophet headline. And she is also not able to just delete some information from her memories. Therefore she kind of knows the girl – or to be more precise she knows things about the girl. She's a little mudblood. So you can probably expect her walking through Muggle London. Cleary this isn't the kind of topic she ponders for too long. She wasn't raised considering mudbloods a topic worth thinking about. Plus she simply doesn't have the time doing so. There are much more important things on her mind. But tonight it cannot be helped. Why's she sneaking around here? Is she up to something? The woman for sure doesn't like being forced into thinking about this modblood girl. Doesn't the girl know she shouldn't stand in her way? What the hell is she doing here?

Hermione almost forgot about the persons whispering just around the corner, only metres away from where she is standing, pressed against a wall. The sudden appearance of the woman beside her and the wand pointed at her throat emptied her mind. But now that she is remembering the reason for why she had stopped here in the first place Hermione notices that the whispering has stopped. The night is quiet. Only the wind is making howling sounds while blowing through the empty streets of London at night. Somewhere far away a single bird is tweeting. And then some steps. They interrupt the night's silence. Heavy leather boots probably. Heavy steps. Making dull sounds. Echoing in the dark alley. Coming closer and closer.

Hermione knows the woman next to her hears it, too. She lowers her wand and tightens the grip around the wooden stick. She shifts her weight. She is tense. As is Hermione.

Hermione doesn't dare to breathe as the steps keep getting closer. Her sweaty hands cling to a brick in the wall behind her. One can almost smell the nervousness in the air.

Then a dark figure is appearing from around the corner followed by another dark figure. The second figure is a lot fatter than the first one. This one is rather skinny and about six feet tall. He is almost two heads taller than the second one that is now standing next to him eyeing Hermione and the woman. Even now that they are standing in front of both the women the men somehow remain hidden in the darkness of the night. There is no chance to disclose their identity. All one can make out is their body shape and their size. The one on the left is tall and skinny. The one on the right is a lot shorter and rather fat. That's all either Hermione or the woman next to her is able to see.

"You shouldn't be walking around these dark and empty streets like this." the taller one says with a disgusting sing-song-voice.

"What do you think you are doing here?" He speaks with a thick British accent.

"This is not the kind of neighbourhood one would expect somebody like you." He clicks his tongue twice and the figure on the right nods in agreement.

Hermione is filled with fear. She tries to shift slightly. It's the first time she moves for what felt like hours. Every muscle in her tense body has tightened. Her heart rate quickens once more. Her blood rushes through her veins. A tear drops from the corner of her eye. She is in panic. After all she has experienced during the war she is now once again scared to death, in Muggle London, with Voldemort dead and most of the Death Eaters arrested.

"These streets hold their dangers. You have to be careful where you're going. Especially when you're some hot bitch." The tall figure laughs. He clearly enjoys the position he's in. His companion remains silent.

The woman rolls her wand between her slim fingers. Hermione can feel the movement and she can hear her growl. But the men probably can't since they are still standing maybe three steps away.

Then the woman takes a step forward. Hermione doesn't know what to make out of this. What is she planning to do? Hermione stays pressed against the wall now able to see the woman that was standing only inches away from her for the last minutes. But actually there isn't much to see since she is facing the men. She is wearing a floor length cloak with the hood pulled over her head. Under the dark cloak a slim figure is hidden. The woman is probably a couple of inches taller than Hermione but that's hard to tell at the moment because she is now standing almost a metre away from Hermione. The woman is standing straight pulling back her shoulder blades to reveals her full size. She so appears pretty self-confident.

"Is this the way you talk to a lady?" she asks in a somewhat aristocratic tone. This time she is not whispering what she has to say. It's the first time Hermione really hears her voice. Her voice is soft but firm making sure everyone is paying attention to her. She seems strong. But the men aren't impressed by her speaking up. The tall and skinny figure starts laughing hysterically. He turns to his companion who then joins in. His chubby body shakes.

"Maybe it's time to teach you a lesson."

At first both the men continue laughing. The fat guy stomps with his little feet and keeps slapping his chubby little hands on his fat thighs. But then from one second to the next they suddenly stop. Hermione watches the scene focussing on the woman's now raised wand. She cannot be serious about that, the girl thinks. Those bastards aren't even wizards apparently. There should be other ways to solve this kind of disputes, shouldn't there?! Using magic against Muggles shouldn't be the choice.

Instead of keeping his mouth shut the thin guy steps forward. He's not aware of the danger he gets himself into.

"What did you just say? You want to teach me a lesson? Did you hear her, Jimmy? This bitch wants to teach us a lesson. Can you believe this? Bitches don't teach me a thing, you know?! Why are you hiding under this hood anyway? You're not that ugly, are you? Why don't you take it off then? Don't we deserve to see your face? I think we do." He steps closer. His companion is staying right behind him. The skinny guy's trying to reach out to the woman, trying to lift her hood, but she instinctively moves backwards.

"And what's with your little friend there? Why don't you come a little closer? I think your friend would enjoy our company, too. What's going on here anyway? What were we interrupting? We sure wouldn't want to miss out on some hot girl-on-girl action, right Jimmy?! We wouldn't mind joining you. We love lesbians."

His dirty laugh echoes in the street. Hermione feels the need to vomit. She closes her eyes again and again and wishes herself away. She just wants this horrible nightmare to end. She wants to go home. She wants to have a family dinner with the Weasley family. But she clearly does not want to be in some dirty corner of some dirty street with some dirty and disgusting and scary people she doesn't know. She is disgusted by the little bastard's talk. She is afraid of what those creatures might do. And not to forget about that other witch. Hermione panics as she thinks about what this other woman might do as soon as those bastards are gone. She tells herself it's the best not to think about this just yet. But that is easier said than done.

The skinny bastard again calls over to Hermione, waving his hands and clicking his tongue. He whistles gesturing towards the girl. The woman says something Hermione cannot understand. But the men don't seem impressed by it anyway. She hasn't lost her composure yet. Hermione admires the woman she does not even know for that kind of strength, for her braveness. But again, the men obviously don't share her shy admiration.

The men take another step forward paying now special attention to Hermione. The skinny bastard keeps saying his obscenities. "You're some hot chick. What are you doing with the old lady? You deserve some real man to give it to you. Right, Jimmy?!" Jimmy growls his agreement. The young Gryffindor cringes in disgust. It seems that the men don't want to lose anymore time.

Then to Hermione's utter surprise the other woman completely unexpected steps in between Hermione and the two guys. Almost like she wants to protect her. But that's not possible, is it?

"Don't you dare." The other witch hisses. She's pissed. Her fingers dangerously cling to her wand. Her knuckles turn white. Her hands shake in rage.

"Oh you're feeling left out. No need to worry. We have a heart", the skinny man addresses the woman. "I wouldn't mind bonking both of you." Jimmy nods quickly and is about to start laughing again. But he shouldn't get a chance.

They crossed the line once too often. The witch loses all the patience she'd left.

"Stupefy" she hisses and at the same moment a bright red jet of light shoots from the tip of her wand aiming at the two men in front of her. By now they aren't able to move anymore or say anything. They are just standing there mouth agape watching the red flash of light hit them with full force almost simultaneously. They stumble backwards and then fall down on their backs. They lay on their backs unconscious. Silence.


	3. Take in all you can

Big **Sorry** for the delay. I was hoping to upload this way earlier but I've had quite a lot on my mind. I am sorry it took me this long – and I unfortunately can't promise that it won't happen again. Another thing I want to add is that I am not exactly happy with this chapter. Didn't really know where or how to end it. :-/ I feel like there is too big of a cut in the middle but I also didn't want to make to chapters out of it … Anyways. J Hope you still like it. And more importantly I again want to thank you for all the favs and follows and of course especially for the reviews! It really means a lot to me. So thank you. Keep reading and have a lovely day, lots of Love and Peace, xoxo

– Take in all you can –

"Stupefy" she hisses and at the same moment a bright red jet of light shoots from the tip of her wand aiming at the two men in front of her. By now they aren't able to move anymore standing there mouth agape watching the red flash of light hit them with force almost simultaneously. They stumble backwards and then fall down on their back. They lay on their back unconscious. Silence.

And the silence remains for a couple of more moments.

Hermione is stunned and sill not changing her position. It takes time for her to adjust to the new situation, to the change of circumstances. She doesn't know if she should be happy or indignant or maybe even more scared than before.

The woman on the other hand doesn't really seem impressed much. She appears to be rather happy and pleased with herself. She maybe even smiles a little. That's what those bastards deserved. They only got what they asked for. As she said: that's no way to treat a lady. In fact that's no way to treat anybody. She's always believed that. Manners are of big importance. That's what she grew up with and what she believes in ever since.

She has almost forgotten about the girl. The girl still stays pressed against the wall. She appears to be frozen or something. It's too dark for the woman to see Hermione's features from where she's standing but she knows the girl is probably scared. Still scared. She has scared her already before those bastards turned up. The woman could feel that Hermione was scared when she had the wand pressed against her throat. Well, you better be scared when you have the woman's wand pressed against your throat.

She glances at the girl once more. And Hermione slowly recovers from her shock. She gets off the wall, looks around, takes in her surroundings. The two men are lying there to the woman's feet. And once more the night is quiet.

Hermione inhales the cold and fresh air of the night. She must have held her breath for quiet some time. The streets look just as they did ten minutes or an hour ago. Or maybe even a day ago. Except for the two unconscious creatures lying there. The streets are dark. The street lamps add a gentle orange shimmer to the blackness. Slivery dots cover the sky. But the moon is nowhere to be seen. It's quite the beautiful night actually. The breeze clears the air from the day's dirt and pollution. The streets are empty, no more people walking around.

"He was right when he said you shouldn't be walking around those empty streets at this time of night." the woman says when she turns around. This came out of nowhere. And for the first time this night she looks at the girl directly. But the moment only last a second or two. Then with a mere movement of her wand she apparates away.

Hermione steadies her breath. Too many things happened in this tiny amount of time. She slowly starts to relax a little. It'll take some time for her to understand what has just happened. Why was it that she felt this helpless?

She then follows the woman's lead and apparates back to the Burrow before the men will wake up again. Clearly she has no desire to face them again.

She silently walks up the stairs and tiptoes into the room she shares with Ginny. The redhead is already fast asleep. Hermione takes off her clothes, throws them in the nearest corner of the room and lays herself down on the other bed. She pulls the sheets up to her nose. They smell freshly washed like a bunch of flowers. It helps to calm her.

She could bet she knew this woman. But it's probably only a case of mistaken identity, Hermione reassures herself. She couldn't even see this woman properly due to the darkness. And everyone knows that all cats are grey by night. She must mistake the woman for someone she doesn't even remember anymore. And with those thoughts on her mind Hermione falls into a restless slumber.

The next morning starts way too early. At least in Hermione's perception. She didn't sleep well. Her mind did nervous summersaults all through the night. The events of the previous night hunted her thoughts. She could still feel some fear in her bones. Those bastards scared the shit out of her. She hates feeling this helpless. And she has no clue what to make of this woman. First she thought she's going to kill her. But later the witch sort of even protected her from those monsters – or at least that's how it seemed to Hermione. What was going on? After this sleepless night she still cannot figure out last night's events.

When she goes downstairs she smells fresh coffee and freshly baked bread. Molly pours Hermione a cup as she sees her entering the cosy kitchen.

"Good morning love. We missed you at dinner last night." Molly smiles warmly. She hands Hermione the hot cup. Harry, Ron and Ginny are sitting around the table giggling about something Ron just said. Hermione joins her friends.

"Hey Hermione. Where've you been last night?" Ron's being nosey as always. He's wearing one of his mum's handmade woollen jumpers.

"You really missed out you know. Ron's mum made a delicious casserole. It was really good."

"You're just too nice Harry." Mrs. Weasley says.

"Okay. Back to my previous question. Hermione. Where have you been?"

Ginny rolls her eyes at Ron being … well … Ron.

"I told you. I've been at the library, just like I have been almost every day for the last two weeks or so." She takes a sip of her still hot coffee. It almost burns her tongue.

"Oh yes. Of course. I knooow." Ron stretches the word "know" like chewing gum.

"Sure you spent your evening at this library again. Yes. We know. Where else would you be." He winks in his mother's direction. Then Ron leans forward signalizing his friends to do the same so his mum cannot overhear their conversation. "You can always tell us when you have a date", he whispers and winks knowingly once more. Harry and Ginny exchange questioning glances.

"Ronald! Don't be silly. I told you I was at the library."

"Oh sure, yes, like I said you went to the _library_." This time he uses his fingers to make quotation marks when says the word "library". Like it would be some kind of code word.

"What do you mean, Ronald?"

Harry and Ginny have stopped following the conversation by now and are talking about some topic of their own.

"You know what I mean, Hermione. I think in fact we all know what you actually mean when you say you're going to the _library_ again and again."

"And what would that be, Ronald? That I indeed go to the library maybe?"

But Ron is hardly paying attention to what she might have to say. Instead he blathers on:

"You know I went to the _library_ just yesterday", he grins. "With Lavender." And his grin grows even wider. "Twice. We actually went to the _library_ twice." He lowers his voice a little more. "And it was awesome. It's always such fun going to the _library_."

"Eww Ronald you are such an idiot."

Hermione starts to understand now what he's trying to say.

"Why would you say that? You know you can always tell me when you have a hot date. Your secrets are safe with me, especially the dirty ones!" And he laughs again.

It's now Hermione's turn to roll her eyes.

"Let me ask you one question. Did it occur to you only once that I really might be going to a real library? Duh! No code word here, Ronald." And with that Hermione leaves the kitchen and goes to the library once again. Just like she did yesterday. And the day before yesterday.

Walking through the large entrance hall Hermione has already forgotten about Ron and his silly allusion. She locks her things in one of the lockers and walks directly to the philosophy section. She has just recently discovered a bunch of books about a new way of justifying universal human rights. Hermione collects the books she's started reading the day before and looks for a quiet spot. It's still pretty early therefore there're not too many people at the library yet. The halls lay in silence. The metres high book shelves mark the narrow ways Hermione tiptoes along. By now she knows this library like the back of her hand. She could walk those ways blindfolded. But today something is different. Something actually feels different. At first she cannot really put her finger on it. But something is indeed totally different today. Something has changed – to speak with the words of brilliant Muggle Rilke: just "as a house that a guest has entered changes". One cannot see a change and other people might not even be able to sense this change, but Hermione does. And in gets clearer with every step she takes. Something has changed. There is something in the air today. Hermione can sense it – and she can sense it even more clearly since she's momentarily in a Muggle environment.

There's something magical in the air, something that does not belong in a Muggle library. Like a wizard or a witch has just walked along those ways. Perhaps they're still here. But it must be a very powerful wizard; Hermione feels the magic very intensely. She's never experienced something like this before. Maybe the Muggle environment adds to the strong feeling because Hermione never expected to experience magic in the Muggle library.

The girl fishes for her wand and grasps it tightly. She doesn't want any negative surprises. Especially after last night. She silently follows the way through the book shelves. As she goes on the magical humming in the air increases its intensity even more. Her hands get sweaty. What is she expecting to find? She isn't sure. Nevertheless she continues walking, around a corner, along another shelve and up to another corner from where she's able to have a look at large windows. The morning sunlight is shining through them drawing shadows on the wooden floor. And one of the shadows belongs to a slim female figure that's standing in front of a window. She's deep in thoughts skimming through a huge tome. The golden sunlight is glowing around her. She's wearing a tight knee-long black dress and black high-heels. In soft waves light blond hair is falling down her shoulders and her upper back. Wand still in her hand Hermione stands and watches the woman. This woman must be the source of the magic Hermione feels. Is she a witch? She must be...


	4. Help with a Question I need to know

Hey guys, a new chapter is up. Again I obviously do not own Harry Potter and I am sorry for every mistake I make – so please be lenient towards me. Thanks so much for all the favs and follows. And also of course thank you for every review. I am really grateful for every comment, suggestion or idea. So thank you. Let me know what you think and have a beautiful day,

Love and Peace, xoxo

* * *

– Help with a Question I need to know –

She's wearing a tight knee-long black dress and black high-heels. In soft waves light blond hair is falling down her shoulders and her upper back. Wand still in her hand Hermione stands and watches the woman. This woman must be the source of the magic Hermione feels. Is she a witch? She must be.

All of a sudden the woman turns around. Something must have caught her attention. Icy blue orbs catch Hermione who's half hiding behind one of the book shelves. The girl is not quick enough to completely hide herself therefore she's spotted by the blonde in front of the window.

"Have you been watching me?" The woman seems somehow a little freaked out. She speaks in a sharp voice.

The girl opens her mouth to answer but no words are coming out. She therefore remains silent eyeing the woman. She detects a glint in the woman's bright blue eyes.

"Are you deaf and dumb?" She looks directly at Hermione the book still in her hands.

Hermione shakes her head. Gosh, this is embarrassing. She's standing there like a deer caught in the headlights of some car and not able to say a word. She's a grown woman – why the hell is she not able to behave like one? Hermione is annoyed with herself. She didn't do anything wrong. Why then does she feel like she got caught doing something wrong?

"Why don't you answer my question?" Annoyance swings in the woman's voice. She sizes Hermione up and down which makes the girl even more nervous and uncomfortable.

"Huh. Er… uhm …" She stammers … and sweats – like some racehorse.

"Well I don't have time for this. If you'd excuse me now." With that the blonde turns around and quickly walks away leaving Hermione somewhat muddled and the sweet scent of freesias hanging in the air. The girl takes a deep breath inhaling the strangely familiar scent. She can not be the woman from the alley last night, can she?! In the golden sunlight between the huge bookshelves the young witch is once again all by herself flustered and wondering.

"Hey, wait!" Hermione recovers her voice as well as her poise and calls after the blonde that already vanished. She holds both her books and her wand close to her chest. Her grip tightens. Taking a deep breath she then starts walking into the direction the blonde just left.

"Hello?" Hermione calls again. The young witch quickly makes her way through the huge and light-flooded reading room. She can hear the steps of another person trailing off. A grey haired man thumbing through an old book shushes her as she walks past him. But Hermione continues to where she last heard the steps from. She enters into a long corridor with carpeted floors. Without any windows the corridor is dimly lit. Huge shelves are covering the high walls. Hermione follows the way the shelves guide. She is now in some section of the library she has never been before. Neither looking to her left nor her right she unconsciously slackens her pace. The girl keeps walking past dozens and dozens of books up to a point she isn't even sure anymore whether this is the way the blonde went or not. Thinking about just returning to some sunny window to read through the books she's picked Hermione is about to stop and walk back. But then all of a sudden she stops for an entirely different reason. A familiar smell reaches her nose. She inhales and pauses for a moment. Now knowing she took the right way she again starts walking but this time slightly slower. Turning around the next corner the girl then notices a graceful female figure sitting at one of the desks. Back straight her gaze is fixed on the pages of some tome. An old reading lamp illuminates the room.

Hermione steps closer that she is now only five or maybe six steps away from the woman. And again there is a magical feeling humming in the air that complements the sweet flowery scent.

Hermione clears her throat to make her presence known. The blonde disapprovingly looks up from the book she's reading, a slight frown on her face. The frown however cannot hide the woman's natural beauty. She looks somewhat familiar. Hermione could swear to high heaven that she knows this woman. But right now the young witch is not able to put her finger on it.

"Erm … Hey. It's me again. Hi." Hermione says while trying to steady her breath.

"What do you want?" the blonde snarls annoyed.

Hermione tries to smile but fails utterly and therefore ends up with flashing her teeth weirdly. The woman wrinkles her nose haughtily.

"Er … So I was wondering …You know … er … Have I maybe met you before?"

The woman only looks at her in bewilderment so Hermione gives it another try:

"I mean like … er … have we met …?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I was wondering, have I seen you yesterday … erm … in that street just outside the library? I think I did …"

"You know there is this line …" The blonde severely raises a plucked eyebrow.

"What line?" Hermione asks dumbfounded.

"The line that you are about to cross. Don't go _too_ far! I strongly advise you to mind your own business! Now go and toddle off, kid." she says in a voice that invites no contradiction. Hermione stares at the woman sitting in front of her, gobsmacked by the blonde's almost natural presumption.

"What?" the woman grumbles, unsettled by the girl's unashamed staring.

"Nothing. You're right. I guess I was indeed mistaking you for somebody else. You know, for a second I thought you might be the person that stood up for both her and me last night. But you just made it perfectly clear that under no circumstances you could have been that person."

And without giving the blonde the slightest chance to reply Hermione turns around and leaves.

The evening once again sneaks up on Hermione. The girl lost track of time while reading. But today Hermione is just in time for dinner at The Burrow.

"Do you know that tomorrow is Narcissa Malfoy's trial about her involvement in her husband's and the other death eater's actions?" Molly Weasley asks no one in particular. "I read about it in the Prophet earlier. Rita Skeeter assumes it's going to be quite the event. Are you going?"

"I got an owl yesterday. They want me to give evidence about her saving my life kind of. But to be honest I am not very keen on doing so", Harry answers. Everyone is watching him from around the dinner table.

"You shouldn't go, mate. You know, she's evil. She doesn't deserve your help." Ron says and everybody seems to agree.

"I know. You're probably right. But it's not that easy. You know she saved my life. Remember? I kind of owe her."

"Well it actually is that easy. I don't get why you even consider turning up and therefore helping her an option. She is not worth you help, mate. She is not worth anybody's help. She is evil. In fact her whole family is. You need to remember what they did. They are evil."

Ron once again talks himself into a rage. Then Hermione joins their conversation:

"I actually think you're right, Harry. You know what I think? As a matter of fact I think you should go."

She didn't get much done today. She couldn't concentrate properly. The mysterious woman kept haunting her every thought. She couldn't read even one page without pausing and pondering. Therefore her nerves are already on edge.

"Why would you say that? Blimey! Did you forget she supported Voldemort's case till the end?"

"No, I didn't, Ronald. But anyway, I think everybody deserves at least a fair trial. And without talking about the good things she did how could the judges decide properly? How would she then be able to get a fair trial?"

"A fair trail? What the hell are you even talking about, 'Mione? You mean a _fair_ trail like her poor excuse of a husband got? Are you talking about this kind of _fair_? He wasn't even sentenced."

"Of course he was sentenced. To community service. And the fine they imposed on him was huge."

"That's a joke. You know what I'm talking about. He wasn't sent to Azkaban."

"He had a trial, Ronald. The judges passed their sentence. Whether we like their decision or not. That's how the system works. It's not in our power to judge. And therefore Narcissa Malfoy deserves a fair trail as well."

"You're right, Hermione" Arthur Weasley says eventually preventing his son from blustering. "Of course it's your decision, Harry, but if you ask me I, too, think you should go."

"But Dad …" Ron whines but nobody is paying attention.

"We'll come, too. We won't let you go there all by yourself Harry darling." Molly sings even though she doesn't agree with her husband's decision in the first place. She shares her youngest son's point of view. The whole Malfoy clan is evil and deserves Azkaban. But she wants to support Harry – if he wants to go there she will do, too. And in the end she probably even came to the conclusion that both he and Hermione might have a point after all. Even though she'd never admit it out loud.

Ginny nods agreeing with her mother and gives Harry a quick peck on the cheek. She's been holding his hand all through the conversation. The two of them are enjoying every moment they spend together and growing closer with every day, especially now that Harry, too, lives with them. It's clear to everyone that a couple of years in the future these two will have a family of their own.

Hermione is again left in deep thoughts. She is not too keen on going to the trial tomorrow herself. Ron's emotional disagreement is pretty understandable. She would never say it out loud though. The war has been hard on everyone. The memories are still fresh and there are still scars, scars that won't ever completely fade. Some of the scars one can see on the outside, and other scars that are carved into the mind. Drenched in cold sweat Hermione still awakes from horrible nightmares that keep haunting her. Night after night she relived Bellatrix marking her, carving the disgusting insult into her forearm. It took her weeks or maybe even months to sleep through a night without waking. The wounds they received – both inside and out – will never completely stop hurting. The events of this war have shaped them. Hermione is aware of that. But emotional decisions out of the heat of the moment are rarely wise. This is a wisdom Hermione believes in and she likes to act accordingly to it. Therefore she supports the trial and their decision to go. It doesn't matter what you did; it doesn't matter how cruel you've been or which case you supported; it doesn't matter what your reasons were or why you chose to act this way or another – no matter what you deserve a fair trail and so does Narcissa Malfoy. Personal sensitivities don't matter. A judge will decide what will happen to her and they have to accept it. They'll live with it whether she's found guilty or not.


	5. I don't see any other way

Thanks for all the reads, reviews, favs and follows. I'm very thankful. And once again I'm sorry for every mistake I make.

Love & Peace, xoxo

* * *

– I don't see any other way –

It doesn't matter what you did; it doesn't matter how cruel you've been or which case you supported; it doesn't matter what your reasons were or why you chose to act this way or another – no matter what you deserve a fair trail and so does Narcissa Malfoy. Personal sensitivities don't matter. A judge will decide what will happen to her and they have to accept it. They'll live with it whether she's found guilty or not.

The following day. 10:00 am. Hermione takes her seat next to Ginny. The red head fiddles around with her skirt's hem. She has been nervous about Harry's hearing all morning. Harry is not sitting with them. He's outside somewhere probably still talking to Arthur Weasley about his testimony. Ron and his mum are sitting next to Ginny on the other side. They're both being in an equally foul mood. During breakfast Ron tried again to stop them from attending to this trial – but without noteworthy success.

Hermione lets her gaze wander around the courtroom. It's an old room with heavy ancient wooden pew-like seats. Boiseries decorate the high room. It gives the room its beautiful French charm. A fair golden shimmer from the morning sun falls through the four large windows. It makes the rare wood seem on fire. The ranks are already pretty much filled. Most of the people Hermione doesn't recognize. They are probably pureblood wizards that belong to the oldest most notorious pureblood wizard families. The jury hasn't entered the courtroom yet. Excided whispers fill the air. Everybody seems to be talking to their neighbour. One can literally feel the excitement.

Then two heads with platinum blonde hair catch Hermione's eye. They're sitting in one of the front rows whispering. They are obviously anxious for Narcissa Malfoy's trial to start. Hermione has seen neither Draco nor his father since the final battle. They both look tired. At least from what Hermione can tell. She cannot see their faces properly but when Draco turns his head slightly she sees dark circles under his eyes.

"Damn criminals" Ron hisses. He, too, has discovered the Malfoys.

The next moment all the whispering abruptly stops and the courtroom turns quite. It is replaced by a suspense-packed silence. One can sense the anticipation.

The jury enters the room. Everyone in the room stands up showing their respect. Then the head judge opens the trial. The grey haired wizard with a scratchy voice calls in Narcissa Malfoy. A large wooden door in the back of the courtroom is opened. All heads turn. A nervous murmur goes through the crowd.

And there she stands. In the door of the courtroom. Mere metres away from the young witch. Hermione holds her breath. Her head swirls. Her heart races. Narcissa Malfoy. A slim female figure appears, gracefully walking towards the jury, obviously liking the attention. She is dressed in a black knee-long sheath dress with a black blazer on top of it. Not wearing one of her expensive robes. Light blond hair is pinned to a neat bun in the neck. Her fair skin glows almost golden in the morning sun's light. This can never be the same woman Hermione fought during the war. And – most importantly – Narcissa Malfoy cannot be the woman from the library. The woman that Hermione believed to be the mysterious witch from the dark alley two nights ago. This could never have been notorious Narcissa Malfoy.

Black high heels click with every step she makes. Her head held high. Like a good proud pureblood. Expensive looking jewels hang around her neck. Lady Malfoy, albeit making a face that suggests she was sniffing dung, looks flawless. Her hips sway gently as she struts along. Like a summer breeze. A strangely familiar scent of freesias suddenly lingers in the air. Hermione sweats nervously remembering the scent. This is not possible. She knows she always had the funny feeling of knowing the woman but it could not have possibly been Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione would have recognized Draco's mum. For sure she would have recognized crazy Bellatrix's sister. If she had run into _the_ Narcissa Malfoy Hermione would never have gotten off this lightly, would she?!

The blonde's light eyes twinkle as they quickly glance over the people seated in the ranks. They seem to take in every pair of eyes, every head, and every person before they rest on one particular. She spots the brunette girl in the crowd. One can hardly miss the bunch of curly and unruly hair. Narcissa still doesn't get her head around the fact she run into the meddlesome witch twice in the last few days. She doesn't know if she's surprised to find her here or not. Probably not, since the stories concerning her trial had been all over the news for at least the past two weeks. The girl sits with the Weasley family. Narcissa spots the fiery red hair, too. That was to be expected. She mingles with that Weasel boy since they started Hogwarts. Or at least that is what Draco has told her.

At first Hermione is sure the woman wouldn't recognize her. She would never recognize her, would she?! She probably didn't even see her properly. She's just a _Mudblood_ after all. And she clearly has other things on her mind. To her surprise however a small smile flickers mysteriously over the blonde's gorgeous face. But it's gone so fast nobody else would be able to see it. Her lips are red and full. Hermione swallows hard as her heart rate increases even further. Her tummy tingles. Hermione feels herself blush. Apparently the woman indeed remembers her. Hermione is caught completely off guard. She hectically looks away and turns her head towards the judges. Narcissa on the other hand remains seemingly composed and continues walking. And eying the crowd. Her eyes then land on her son. They lock eyes. She smiles at him warmly and her eyes light up. Hermione buries her face in her sweating hands.

It almost looks like she's walking down the aisle. All eyes are on her as she walks down the way to the jury in the front. Narcissa takes her seat next to her counsel for defence opposite the judges.

The bill of indictment is read. Narcissa Malfoy states she is not guilty. The hearing of evidence begins. One of the judges shows a couple pieces of exhibit. Narcissa Malfoy denies her involvement saying she didn't know, she didn't help, she didn't participate. The crowd growls. "Liar!" someone screams. The head judge uses his gavel to ensure order. The hearing of the witnesses begins. Many well known wizards are heard. Then it's Harry's turn. He speaks about the war, about fighting the death eaters, about the final battle and finally about Narcissa Malfoy helping save his life.

"What would you say, Mr. Potter", one of the judges asks, "Did you get the impression Mrs. Malfoy was supporting the goals of Voldemort with her whole heart? What was your impression of Mrs. Malfoy during the battle?"

"I … I don't know, Sir. I'm not sure." Harry stammers. Mrs. Weasley shifts in her seat.

"You mean you don't know whether Mrs. Malfoy truly fought for Voldemort's interests at all?"

"Of course she did." some voice from the crowd shouts.

"Silence!"

"Mr. Potter", the judge speaks again, "Is that what you were saying?"

"I don't know, Sir."

"Mr. Potter. We need an answer. Please try and remember the battle. I ask you again: What was your impression of Mrs. Malfoy? Mr. Potter. Can you say for sure that Mrs. Malfoy wholeheartedly did support Voldemort's side?"

The courtroom lays in complete silence. Everyone seems to be holding their breath. Everyone is waiting for Harry to answer. The time goes by slowly while no one says a word. Ginny tightly clutches Hermione's hand. Her hands are cold and sweaty. "Say something." she whispers.

"Mr. Potter."

"Well … Sir … I suppose then I can't …"

By this statement the crowd is thrown into turmoil. Ron snarls. He cannot understand his best friend. "What is he doing? Blimey! Why is he saying that? This is rubbish and he knows it." he growls. That earns him a sour look from both his mother and his sister. Some of the people have left their seats by now venting their anger. Others seem rather pleased. Narcissa sits confident eyes fixed on the head judge. A small smile is playing around her lips.

"Silence!" the head judge calls. He's starting to get rather frustrated with the crowd. The old stocky wizard doesn't like repeating himself over and over again.

"Mr. Potter. So you were saying you don't know for sure whether Mrs. Malfoy did support Voldemort's case throughout the war?"

"No, Sir. I cannot say that with certainty, Sir." Harry states.

"Thank you, Mister Potter. That would be everything." the head judge informs Harry, who then leaves the witness stand.

The trial continues for another three or four hours until the jury delivers their judgement. After lengthy discussion they came to the decision that Mrs. Malfoy cannot be sentenced for helping Voldemort. So the head judge acquits Narcissa Malfoy for want of evidence. A judgement nobody really seems to be happy with – either because they expected a condemnation or a proper acquittal.

By now Ron's face is almost as fiery red as his hair. He's in rage. "Is that the so called _fair_ trial you wanted?" Ron barks. Hermione at first tries to answer but quickly sees that there would be no point in arguing with Ron right now. He wouldn't even listen to any of her arguments. His mum therefore insists on them leaving the court room quickly in order to calm the situation. Ron angrily stomps away. And the rest of the family follows.

When she reaches the huge wooden doors of the court room Hermione stops to quickly steal another glance. She almost instantly finds the blonde that is now accompanied by two equally blonde wizards. For only the blink of an eye she looks up from their conversation and Hermione is sure to detect disappointment, frustration and maybe even a hint of sadness in the usually shining blue eyes of the Lady Malfoy. But both women hastily look away. Hermione continues her way out of the court house to find the Weasley family waiting for her outside. Harry has already joined them but Ron is nowhere to be seen. Hermione pushes the thoughts of the blonde witch to the very back of her mind.

"Are you alright?" Ginny asks.

Hermione smiles at her friend, "Sure. And what about you, Harry?"

He nods.

"You did very well, Harry darling." Molly Weasley tousles his hair.

"Yes, she's right. We're proud of you. And don't rack your brain over Ronald's tantrum. He will vent his anger and eventually come around." Arthur Weasley says.

Ginny laughs, "Maybe he is over at Lavender's to vent."

The comment is met with a disapproving shake of her mother's head. Harry and Hermione hide their giggle over Ginny's remark to not annoy the Weasley matriarch.

"Let's go home. The trial has been quite exhausting, hasn't it?"

"You only want to go home because you're fond of the leftovers from last night's dinner, aren't you?" his daughter teases.

They are about to apparate back to the Burrow when four platinum blonde wizards leave the court house. One of them – a woman with neat curls and a crocodile-skin handbag hanging around her wrist – is accompanied by a magic quill that is busily taking notes.

"Are you coming, Hermione?"

The sun shines bright from the sky.

"Uh … I think, I'd rather go for a stroll. I need to clear my head."

"Are you sure you're okay?" The young redhead seems a little worried.

"Of course, Ginny. Why wouldn't I. I will see you guys later." She flashes them a smile. She loves her friend for her protective nature. She knows, she can always count on Ginny, she always has her back – a feeling that often helps Hermione calm down and relax. Over the years the two girls have grown into really good friends. But right now she needs a moment to herself. As much as she loves the Weasleys, the Burrow's busyness can sometimes be a little overwhelming. And with all the noisiness around Hermione needs to find a place where she can actually hear her own thoughts again; a change of scenery.

The three Malfoys meanwhile talk briefly with infamous Rita Skeeter standing next to them, straining her ears in order to listen to what is said.

Hermione quickly steals another glance. A brief smile creeps across her face but she quickly wipes it off her lips again. The girl definitely needs to clear her head. Her thoughts by now are all over the place. She eyes the blonde witch. The blonde that in all likelihood ran into her in the alley. The blonde that astonished her in the library yesterday. And the blonde that is now officially free to continue with her old normal life.

If only that is what she wants …

* * *

TBC.


	6. Stand up little darlin'

– Stand up little darlin' –

She eyes the blonde witch. The blonde that in all likelihood ran into her in the alley. The blonde that astonished her in the library yesterday. And the blonde that is now officially free to continue with her old normal life.

If only that is what she wants …

When she finally comes home after the long and exhausting day the manor feels indescribably cold and lifeless. And for the very first time it occurs to her that the huge house hasn't been a homelike place to her for years now. But she never really felt that lonely or homeless. She's tired. The trial actually was more exhausting than she expected it to be.

Without asking a tiny female house elf appears to take her coat and put it away. Lucius never approved of her not wearing her ancient robes and cloaks. But today she didn't cave in to him. It might have been the first time they went out in public together without her wearing the traditional robes. And she actually enjoyed her choice of clothing for the day. One of the few things she genuinely liked about that day. Well … Draco appearing and supporting her was another good thing. But there wasn't much to like apart from that. She wishes he had come over to the manor for some coffee or tea after the jury's decision. But he is busy. And probably still avoiding his father. But that is nothing he would ever admit.

Lucius orders one of the house elves to serve them dinner in the great dining hall. With a quiet plop the little creature disappears again. Head held high Lucius marches towards the dining hall. His steps echo and his floor-length cloak waves as if blown by the wind as he walks on. He reaches the large wooden door:

"Are you coming?" he asks Narcissa who still stands near the entrance.

Their eyes meet. The woman self-consciously tucks a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. She then nods and walks towards her husband who's holding the door open for her. She enters the dining hall. The food has already been served and is now waiting for them to eat it. The spouses take their seats facing one another. The food smells delicious. Narcissa had been too busy the last couple of days to have a proper warm meal.

"I shall make a toast!" Lucius says. With all the silence filling the room his voice sounds even louder than normal. It has been terribly quiet in the manor lately. She hasn't give up hope for Draco to come back home one day. But right now this is rather unlikely to happen. He wants to distance himself from his father. And who could possibly blame him? The war and the final battle changed him. Just like it changed everyone. But Narcissa only recently realized that the war actually changed her son for the better. At least in the end. She now is surer than ever before that he will grow into a noble man and one day be a caring husband and a loving father. Nothing like his father. … She knows it will take the world around him some time to adjust to the changed Draco. But people will eventually give him the second chance he deserves. After all it wasn't his fault that his father introduced him to the death eaters. Nor was it his fault he got picked by the Dark Lord for this cruel task. It wasn't his fault he did not have the childhood or the upbringing he deserved. She could never forgive Lucius for the dangers he put Draco in. It pains Narcissa – to see what her son went through. But right now she knows that in the end it only made him stronger and will keep making him stronger. And now he is starting fresh. And he deserves it. Moving in with his aunt was probably the best decision he could make. The blonde didn't expect Andromeda to agree to this – but she did. Merlin only knows why. Narcissa is only glad she allowed Draco to stay. Very glad…

"To the Malfoy family and to the end of this ridiculous lawsuit." Lucius raises his glass and takes a mouthful of the blood-red wine. They then start eating in silence. The meal is just as delicious as it smells. And Narcissa actually enjoys every bit of it. One only can hear the clattering of dishes and silverware. No word is spoken. The blonde lets her gaze wander around the room, lost in thoughts. She wonders whether they, too, would get the chance to start fresh. They still maintain close relations to many other pureblood families. But due to the final battle the balance of power in wizard society shifted. So those contacts aren't as powerful as they used to. At some point they'd need to adjust. At least that is what Narcissa thinks. She is tired, so tired of all the fighting and has no desire to fight this new balance of power. She has no idea if Lucius is up to something. He doesn't tell her. But she is not keen on knowing either. She rather wants a fresh start. However she is not sure whether this is possible with her husband. Speaking of which. Lucius' voice breaks the silence again.

"I am going out tonight." he says.

"Oh." His wife appears disappointed.

"I thought we might celebrate my acquittal tonight?" The witch is trying to sound as seductive as possible as she gets up from her chair and slowly walks around the table towards her husband. He barely looks at her and therefore hardly notices her flashing him a smile full of expectation.

"Don't be foolish, Narcissa. You know exactly this wasn't a proper acquittal. The only reason you weren't found guilty today was that those doters couldn't find enough solid evidence. Plus: Potter was an absolute joke. With a different statement he could have completely changed the course of that trial. You are aware of that, right? If it wasn't that absurd one could almost jump to the conclusion that he fancies you."

His dirty laugh roars. Since she is not saying anything in return the blonde wizard then adds:

"Aside from that I have an appointment. It's important. I will be back late. So do not wait for me."

"Who are you meeting up with?"

"Don't bother. You don't know them anyway."

She nods silently having nothing to say against it.

When he leaves, Narcissa is left behind all by herself in the huge but empty manor. That is not the life she dreamt of when she was a little girl. When she was a little girl she dreamt of a big family, a loving spouse, a house filled with laughter, kids' noises that spread joy and love, having friends over for dinner every now and then, going to the theatre, having a fulfilling career, travelling the world, enjoying life itself …

When did she stop pursuing her dreams?

She thinks about visiting Draco. But she doesn't want to chase him and bother him with her problems. Besides she isn't too keen on possibly facing her sister.

A house elf appears, clears the table of all dirty dishes and, with a plop, disappears again. Narcissa stands at the window looking out into the falling night. She unconsciously runs her hand over the smooth fabric of her dress. Her eyes wander over the wide and dusky landscape. The sight somehow reflects her own loneliness.

Sometimes – rarely though – a feeling of jealousy starts to build in the depth of her stomach. Sometimes she feels like she is jealous of Draco for his courage to start fresh. She wishes she could work up the nerve herself to take the chance of a fresh start. One can either play it save or take a risk but to Narcissa Malfoy the first one has always been the more appealing choice.

Nevertheless the vague feeling of jealousy never reaches her heart. She nips it in the bud and therefore motherly pride sets in. She is happy for Draco. It is just one of those days where you start wondering what became of your dreams…

Low clouds gather at the horizon while the arriving night sucks is all light from the day. In the distance an owl's hoot fills the whole night, all else is quiet. Right before the window a bat flies crossing Narcissa Malfoy's line of vision. The moon is hanging from the sky but soon he will be hidden behind the clouds and what once was a star-studded skywill then be nothing but dark and dull. From the distance the owl hoots again breaking the dusk's silence. The witch takes a deep breath pondering the day's events. Maybe it was time to make a change?

* * *

– Stand up little darlin', I've been told to stand up and fight for living strong… –

* * *

TBC

A/N: sorry for little gap filler but I felt it would be helpfull to see a bit more of Narcissa's perspective.

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own Harry Potter.


	7. I cant go changing the way that you deal

– I can't go changing the way that you deal –

The moon is hanging from the sky but soon he will be hidden behind the clouds and what once was a star-studded sky will then be nothing but dark and dull. From the distance the owl hoots again breaking the dusk's silence. The witch takes a deep breath pondering the day's events. Maybe it was time to make a change?

Hermione returns to the Burrow later than she originally planned. That stroll actually was good and helped clearing her head. She always enjoyed the solitude a walk like this provides. For her it's the best way to sort out what is going through her mind. The Weasley home lays in peaceful silence. She sneaks upstairs and into Ginny's and her bedroom. The redhead's rhythmically breathing is the only noise in the room. Hermione walks over to her bed and changes into her pyjamas before she crawls under the cover. She can hear the redhead stir in her bed. Then the room is completely silent. Hermione closes her eyes tight and falls asleep.

"Hermione."

It's Ginny's voice. The redhead is gently shaking Hermione's shoulder in order to wake her.

"Wake up, Hermione." she repeats persistently.

That is when Hermione slightly shifts in her bed.

"What is it, Ginny?" the girl mumbles. Her voice is sill raspy from sleeping.

"You need to get up, Hermione. You have a visitor. They are waiting downstairs."

Hermione sleepily opens her eyes. Judging from the orange sun that carefully shines through the window it must be rather early in the morning. Ginny, too, is still wearing her pyjamas and her hair is all messy.

"Who is it?"

She lifts her head a little to get a better look at her friend. She sits on the edge of Hermione's bed.

"Just go downstairs and see for yourself."

"Who is it, Ginny? Don't keep me in suspense. What time is it, anyway? Who would visit someone at this time of night?"

Hermione now sits in her bed, extensively yawning. She rubs her eyes and pulls her knees close to her chest.

"Come on, Hermione. You better get up and go downstairs. I don't want anyone else to find out that there is someone in the house."

Hermione throws a puzzled look at Ginny and gets up. When the girls leave their room to go downstairs they already hear fevered voices talking or rather arguing. One of the voices belongs to Ron. The other voice Hermione doesn't recognize.

"You have the nerve to come here to our house after all you and you deranged family did?!" Ron shouts. He is probably about to jump down the other persons throat. Feet stomp.

"Well, it wasn't my exact intention to run into you." snarls the other person.

"Then you shouldn't have come here in the first place." He pauses to take a deep breath and continues: "But guess what. I am glad you came!" His voice cracks in rage.

Then some spell is hissed and as a result one of the persons stumbles to the ground. The girls rush downstairs.

When they reach the kitchen they find Ron breathing heavily, wand still in his hand.

"Ron! What just happened? What did you do?" Ginny squeaks.

"Nothing. Don't worry. I got everything under control now."

Their eyes then fall on the person who is lying sprawled out on the floor.

"What did you do, Ronald?" Hermione kneels down beside them.

"Nothing! Like I said. It was just a little jinx. It's not going to kill him." Ron spits still catching his breath. His cheeks flush in a deep crimson shade. "Anyway, it's not my fault, if he isn't even able to defend himself properly. I hope this will teach him a lesson. He can't just break into somebody's home. What the heck was he doing here? He standing in the kitchen scared me to death. You guys think that evil kin of his is up to something again? What else would he be doing here? And how could he enter our house in the first place? I swear to you – they are up to no good. And this bedevilled trial yesterday was only the beginning. Believe me, guys!"

"What hex did you use on him?"

"It's okay. He will wake up all by himself probably sooner rather than later. Why do you worry anyway? You know, he is the one that broke in." he now says in a high-pitched voice.

"Uhm, actually, Ronald, I let him in."

"What?" Ron shrieks, "You've got to be kidding me! You say, you let him in, Ginny? Him? He is malicious Malfoy. He tried to kill Dumbledore. Did you forget that? Does Harry know Malfoy is here?"

"Well, I woke up hearing someone knock at the door."

"And it didn't occur to you to tell him to get lost or to scare him away? Or to get mum and dad? Ginny?"

"Don't yell at me, Ronald."

"Then explain it to me. Why did you let Malfoy into our home?"

Ginny looks to her friend. Hermione returns the look slightly shaking her head.

Stairs creak before Ginny gets the chance to answer her brother.

"What is going on here?" her mother asks. She is followed by Harry and Arthur Weasley that now, too, join the rest of the family in the kitchen.

"Is this Draco Malfoy?" Mister Weasley wants to know.

"Malfoy? What is he doing here?"

"Ssh, careful. I think he is regaining consciousness." Ronald again pulls out his wand.

Everybody is lined up around Draco Malfoy who is slowly moving and opening his eyes. His look is met by six sets of eyes that stare at him.

"Don't move. You're surrounded."

"Ronald, give it a rest. Are you okay, Malfoy?" Hermione asks.

"What is he doing in my kitchen?" Mrs. Weasley whispers. Her voice is still sleep-filled.

Draco Malfoy gets up into a sitting position taking in his surroundings. He runs a hand through his platinum blonde hair. The other hand instinctively searches for his wand that is still securely tucked away in his pocket. He doesn't pull the wand though. The situation is already tense enough. So instead he is slowly standing up, stretching his back, regaining his posture.

"Can somebody now please explain the situation?"

"Yeah. Explain the situation." Ron parrots, darting a glance at his sister.

"I think he came over to talk to Hermione. But then Ron happened." she retorts.

Mr. and Mrs Weasley exchange surprised looks.

"Would you mind talking to me? _In private_." Draco Malfoy asks Hermione and emphasises the last words.

Hermione nods and leads their way.

"I think it's the best if we go outside to talk. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure", he says and follows Hermione outside.

A few snow-white fluffy clouds cover the blue sky. The sun shines bright; it's going to be a nice late summer day. Looking for worms some chirping birds peck excitedly at the lovely flowerbeds Mrs. Weasley is so proud of. Hermione wonders where Crookshanks is roaming around. A mild breeze has sprung up.

They stop and Hermione turns to face the blonde.

"So …?"

Rubbing his hands and slightly bopping up and down Draco Malfoy seems a little uncomfortable. He avoids making eye-contact with the girl.

"Well erm … _Granger_ …" That sounds strange. He takes a deep breath and stretches his back to appear taller – and maybe more confident. "I take it you know, why I want to talk to you."

Hermione shakes her head.

"Well, about last night. Have you already talked with somebody about last night? You presumably have. _Granger_?" He tries her name again. It sounds weird coming from him – but that's probably only because he's not used to it.

The girl is not sure, where he wants to go from here. She shakes her head again,

"No, actually I haven't."

"Good … well, I don't know what you heard but would it be too much of me to ask that you won't talk about it with anybody?"

Hermione knits her eyebrows.

"I don't quite know what you are talking about."

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't push it. Last night. When you came over to my aunt's to visit her. You know exactly what I mean!" He is nervous.

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_After aimlessly strolling through London for an hour or maybe two Hermione did indeed decide to go and see Andromeda Tonks. She hadn't seen the woman in quite some time but she always enjoyed talking to her. She didn't attend her sister's trial earlier that day but Hermione didn't expect her to come in the first place. _

_The events from the alley still haunt through her mind. And she felt the need to talk about the trial and the jury's decision. Maybe talking to dear Andromeda could help her to set her mind at ease. Above all that it was time for her to catch up with the woman and she also wanted to see how little Teddy is doing. So she spontaneously decided to pay Andromeda a visit. _

_She walked up to the door knocking against the wood three times. It was in the early evening and the sun already started setting. Andromeda lived in a cute little cottage surrounded by a big garden. _

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"I honestly don't know, what you mean. You tell me what I am not supposed to talk about."

"Do not play dumb. I am really trying to be … well … _nice_, I guess. So do not carry things too far, Granger!" Draco Malfoy speaks in a rather harsh voice now eyeing the witch directly.

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_Andromeda is happy to see the girl. She at first is surprised seeing Hermione on her door step but enjoys seeing her nonetheless. The women sit down in the cozy living room. Flames burn in the fireplace. Hermione tells her about living with the Weasley familiy and how gratefull she is that they took her in and let her live with them. She loves being part of a big family. The kettle whistles and Andromeda serves them steaming hot tea. They then speak about the reconstruction of Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic that is working hard to finally get the Wizarding World back to normal. Or at least as close to normal as possible ..._

_They hear a knock at the door._

_"__Sorry, I just go and see who's there." Andromeda excuses herself, gets up from her chair and walks towards the front door. From where she sits Hermione cannot see who Andromeda is speaking with; she only hears two voices whispering. _

_While she is waiting for the older witch to come back the girl helps herself to another cup of tea. That is when she hears Andromeda call for Draco,_

_"__Draco, will you come downstairs? There is someone at the door for you!"_

_He comes downstairs. Hermione hears his steps on the stairs and his voice joining the other two. _

_"__Thank you", Draco says, apparently towards his aunt, "I think we better go outside and talk there."_

_The door is opened again and falls shut with a dull sound. _

_Hermione was rather surprised – to say the least – when Andromeda told her that Draco now lives with her and with Teddy matter-of-factly. She said it was his idea. Shortly after the war ended he came up to her asking whether it would be okay if he moved in with her. Until he finds himself a place to stay. At first Andromeda was quite shocked and reluctant but her nephew made it very clear that he was serious about wanting a fresh start. And so she agreed and let him move in. _

_Andromeda walks back into the living room where Hermione is still waiting._

_"__Sorry I kept you waiting", she apologizes while taking her seat opposite the girl. Teddy sits peacefully on the large carpet in front of the large couch and plays with some toys of his._

_"__He is such a good child" Andromeda says noticing Hermione's glance towards the little boy. She smiles warmly. _

_"__I can tell he is! And he is very lucky to have you taking care of him!"_

_"__You know, Draco is really good with him. Funny, isn't it? He actually is a big help with the little one and Teddy loves it when Draco plays with him. They get along very well. And I think Draco enjoys it, too. Having little Teddy around. You know, Teddy somehow outweighs the terrible memories of the war. Draco feels it, too …"_

_"__Wow. Who would have guessed … Draco being somewhat like a responsible big brother …"_

_Andromeda nods her agreement._

_"__Did you talk to your sister?"_

_No answer. They haven't talked about Narcissa Malfoy's trail but Hermione senses Andromeda doesn't want to talk about it or her sister in general. They sit in comfortable silence before the young Gryffindor looks at the wall clock and says:_

_"__I think I should head home. It's already getting quite late and I actually said I would be back for dinner …" They both get up from their seats, saying their good-byes._

_When Hermione leaves the home of Andromeda the darkness of the night has already spread. While the girl's eyes adjust to the blackness she slowly stumbles her way through the night. She toddles down the steps in front of the entrance and walks along the path that will lead her towards the driveway and finally to the wrought iron gate and out of Andromeda's garden on the road from where she wants to apparate back to the Burrow. Her footsteps crunch on the gravel. Her eyes by now get used to seeing in the darkness. As she carefully walks on she all of a sudden hears muffled voices talking somewhere in the night. The young witch looks around trying to find the source of the voices. Thinking about just continue leaving the garden in order to go back home her curiosity gets the better of her. So she tiptoes towards where she thinks the voices come from. She turns left around the corner of the house praying the night would keep her hidden and safe. It is then that her eyes discover the silhouettes of two dark figures sitting on a bench facing away from Hermione. She steadies her breath and tightens the grip around her wand. The person on the right seems to be listening while the other person speaks. From the fierce movement of the talking person's hands the girl suggests the person is rather upset or disgruntled. Studying the person on the right more closely it occurs to Hermione that it must be Draco Malfoy who just left the house maybe half an hour ago after someone has knocked at the door – probably the person that is now sitting with him on that bench. Draco Malfoy is merely looking at the person talking; he appears to be just listening and staring into the night. When the moon starts shimmering slightly through the gathering clouds the dim light reflect in an almost white glow from his blonde hair. The other person however remains hidden underneath a black hood which lets Hermione wonder who this person might be that Draco is talking to – or, to be more precise, that is talking to Draco. _

_Hermione remembers Ron suspecting the Malfoys of planning some kind of coup. Was he right after all? Are they up to something once again? Are they working on some way to return to a more powerful position? Are they trying to get the remaining Death Eaters and likeminded purebloods back together?_

_But Andromeda would have said something if she was suspicious of the person visiting, right? She saw them after all. If she didn't approve of them she clearly would have said something! And she must trust her nephew to some extend since she allowes him to live with both her and little Teddy. She seems certain that Draco's trying to change is sincere. Maybe it's just Ron's paranoia that rubs off on her. _

_The person that was talking until now turns to her right side to face Draco, popping their right elbow onto the back of the bench and resting their chin in their hand. The person appears to be studying Draco closely while it is now his turn to speak. When Hermione concentrates and listens closely she is able to understand some bits of their conversation:_

_"__I'm sorry. What is it you expect me to do? I don't know what else to say. What am I supposed to do? I told you before I won't come back. I can't come back. Tell me what to do to help you and I will – but I cannot ever come back. I know you had your reasons to stay. I get it. I appreciate what you did for me, the sacrifices you made. And I am more than ready to do whatever it takes to help you – not only to return the favour, you know, but because I want to, I really do; I'll do everything, everything except for coming back. I can't. You know that! And you cannot ask that of me! Maybe this is the time for you to make a decision for yourself. What do you want your life to be like; what do you want your future to look like? You need to make a decision, you know. And whatever decision you make I will be there for you – whether you decide to leave or to stay. I support you either way, you know that, right?! But please, do me one favour and consider leaving at least a possible option. Because I coming back isn't one!" _

_The other person watches him all the way through his speech but when he's finished the figure's eyes wander around in the darkness. Perhaps they noticed someone overhearing their conversation. Hermione tries to make herself disappear in the night pressing her back into the walls of the cottage right behind her holding her breath. The feeling of some weird déjà-vu experience comes to her mind. This is probably how that guy in Groundhog Day felt. That is when a pair of very blue eyes lands on her. The girl jumps feeling found out. There is no way thinking they might miss her due to the darkness. They clearly see her. And they recognize her. But so does Hermione. She now recognizes the second figure – the woman whose trial the girl attended to earlier that day. _

_The moon appears fully from behind the clouds illuminating the scene and giving the girl and her hiding spot away. Silvery strands of hair fall from underneath the hood over the woman's chest. Her blue eyes that shine mysterious in the moonlight are fixed on the girl who doesn't dare to move; she's frozen on the spot eyeing the other witch. Blue eyes are resting on her, taking in her sight, examining her facial features. Hermione starts to feel uncomfortable being stared at by the blonde. But the witch doesn't seem towant to look away any time soon. Her eyes still lay on the girl._

_Draco then becomes aware of his mother's obvious distraction._

_"__What is it?" he asks staring at his mother before he turns around in the same direction his mother is looking in order to see what caught her attention. But he cannot see anything or anyone._

_"__Mother? Are you even listening? What are you looking at? Was somebody there?"_

_The witch just absently shakes her head saying, "Yes, I heard every word you said, darling!"_

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"Malfoy … _Draco_. I still have no clue what you are referring to. Seriously. I only went to visit your aunt. Believe me when I say we didn't discuss anything related to you. Well, besides the fact that you now live with her. She didn't even tell me anything about your motives or whatsoever. I honestly don't think I know anything concerning you you need to worry about. But to make this easier: I promise not to talk about me visiting Andromeda last night. Okay?" She was surprised by how easily those white lies fall from her lips.

Draco apparently buys it, he seems to relax slightly nodding towards Hermione.

"Good. Anyways. I hope you are not lying to me. Just do not speak about last night. Please." He adds the last word rather hesitantly. Saying it, costs him quite an effort. Hermione can tell. But she appreciates it smiling at him before they are both going their separate ways again.

* * *

TBC.

Again: No native speaker. So I'm sorry for each and every mistake! Hope you like it. Have a nice weekend! Love & Peace, xoxo :)


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